Tougher anti-terrorism laws on fast track

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Anti-terrorism laws will be toughened by the new Howard
Government and harsh powers blocked by Labor could be pushed
through a Coalition-dominated Senate, Attorney-General Philip
Ruddock said yesterday.

Mr Ruddock will fast-track three security bills, delayed in the
last parliament, that give increased surveillance powers to
investigators and create new secrecy provisions for
terrorist-related court hearings.

He is also prepared to reintroduce controversial powers blocked
by the Senate that include powers to detain and strip-search
children as young as 12, if they are needed.

"We need to ensure the powers are adequate for the inquiries we
are pursuing," Mr Ruddock said. "There may be some circumstances in
the future which might prompt us to look at it."

He is not ruling out granting new powers that might be sought by
the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation or Australian
Federal Police to pursue terrorists.

"I am not dismissing changes that might be recommended by
competent authorities as being necessary," he said.

He hopes the three bills delayed in the last parliament by being
sent to committee will be passed soon. If not, they could be pushed
through after July should the Government have a majority in the
Senate.

He said the bills were needed to ensure terror prosecutions
could proceed through the courts without endangering classified
information or revealing how investigators gathered evidence.

"The three bills are relevant," Mr Ruddock said. "It is an
unfinished work. You continuously monitor the adequacy of the
measures you have to see whether they achieve their outcome."

Federal police and ASIO will get increased powers to use
listening devices and intercepts for phone text messaging, emails
and computer hacking, often with no need for warrants.

The new powers will be the latest of 19 security laws pushed
through parliament since September 11, 2001, and the Bali
bombing.